Blog – Page 26 – Windhoek Observer

08 Oct

Service is a soul, not a script

Observer Money

Ester Kafidi Customer service is often measured by speed, efficiency, and satisfaction scores. But beneath the numbers and KPIs lies something far more human: the quiet power of being seen, heard, and understood. In a world increasingly automated, where chatbots handle questions and algorithms anticipate needs, the real heart of service isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about connection. It’s easy to think of customer service as a department, a function, or a role. But more than that, it’s a mindset: one that should live in every part of an organisation. It’s the receptionist who welcomes someone with genuine warmth,…

08 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | When lunch becomes a luxury: The crisis of public service productivity

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security minister Lucia Iipumbu recently directed that all ministry offices remain operational during lunchtime. On the surface, this may seem like a minor administrative adjustment. But in reality, it exposes a deep and chronic crisis within our civil service, a culture that has normalised inefficiency, eroded public trust, and forgotten that service delivery is not a favour to the public but a duty. A nation held hostage by lunch breaks For years, ordinary Namibians have stood in endless queues outside government buildings, sometimes under the unforgiving sun, sometimes in the rain, waiting for something as…

07 Oct

PM tries to tenderise Mushokabanji’s leadership at Meatco

Main

Justicia Shipena Prime minister Elijah Ngurare says former Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) chief executive officer Mwilima Mushokabanji should be commended for his leadership at Meatco. Ngurare said Mushokabanji led Meatco under difficult circumstances. Ngurare recently told Parliament that it would be an oversimplification to blame Meatco’s financial and structural challenges on one individual. He said the company’s problems stem from long-standing inefficiencies that existed before Mushokabanji’s tenure. “The difficulties encountered by Meatco are rooted in longstanding structural and operational inefficiencies that predate Mr Mushokabanji’s tenure. Notably, it was during his tenure that many of these contractual anomalies and unsustainable…

07 Oct

Ministry plans charcoal production expansion in communal areas

National News

Justicia Shipena Environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti says the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is looking into expanding charcoal production into communal areas. He said this will be done while maintaining strict environmental and safety standards. Mufeti explained that the ministry is conducting studies and assessments to develop a framework that will allow communal farmers to join the growing charcoal industry. “We are not yet giving permits there, but we want to. Studies and assessments are being done to see how we can allow communal farmers to be involved in charcoal production,” he said at a recent press conference in…

07 Oct

Officials confident BNC talks will deliver tangible outcomes

National News

Justicia Shipena The senior officials meeting of the second session of the Namibia–Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) began in Windhoek on Monday, with officials expressing optimism that it will strengthen cooperation between the two countries. Namibia's executive director at the Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, said the meeting would build on existing ties and deliver outcomes that improve the lives of citizens. “As we begin this session of the Senior Officials meeting, I am convinced that our deliberations will lead to the enhancement of bilateral cooperation between our two countries,” she said. She welcomed the Botswana delegation led…

07 Oct

City records 75% of Windhoek fires in informal areas

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Seventy-five percent of fires recorded in Windhoek last year occurred in informal settlements, the City of Windhoek has revealed. Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja shared the figures during the official opening of International Fire Safety Week 2025 at the City’s Head Quarter Fire Station yesterday. Larandja said that in 2024, the city’s fire brigade responded to more than 2,000 fire-related incidents, of which nearly 200 were dwelling fires. “These fires claimed lives, destroyed homes, and wiped away the belongings of families who already had very little,” she said. The mayor described fires as one of the biggest threats to…

07 Oct

Walvis Bay residents to pay more for garbage collection

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Walvis Bay residents will now pay N$235.32 per household each month for refuse collection. The new rate follows tariff corrections announced by the municipality for the 2025/2026 financial year. The change, effective from 1 July, was gazetted under government notice No. 729 and signed by the town's mayor, Trevino Forbes. It was published in the government gazette No. 8753 dated 1 October 2025. Under the revised tariff schedule, residents in Tutaleni and Farm 37 will continue to pay subsidised rates of N$80.70, while pensioners will be charged N$71.95. Businesses will pay N$429.16 for standard bin removals per week…

07 Oct

NaCC greenlights winery merger

National News

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has approved the merger between Achill Island Investments (Pty) Ltd and Silverlands Vineyards (Pty) Ltd under strict employment conditions. The decision, published in a recent government gazette, requires the merged entity to protect jobs and maintain employee benefits for at least three years after the merger takes effect. The approval was granted in terms of section 47(2)(e) of the Competition Act, 2003, which allows NaCC to consider employment stability when reviewing mergers. The ruling prohibits merger-specific retrenchments and voluntary separation schemes intended to reduce staff numbers. Employees must also remain on terms that…

07 Oct

SADC PF launches consultation on model law for prison oversight

National News

Moses Magadza The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) on Monday opened a two-day consultation in Johannesburg focusing on health in prisons and the draft SADC model law on prison oversight. The consultation brings together health professionals working in prison settings, ministries of health and correctional services, civil society organisations, and development partners to contribute technical and professional input to the draft law, which aims to strengthen parliamentary oversight and improve prison conditions across the region. Delivering the keynote address, Victor Mhango, vice chairperson of the technical working group (TWG) on prison oversight, described the initiative as “a…

07 Oct

Bitcoin firm makes its debut on Namibia Stock Exchange

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Africa Bitcoin Corporation (ABC) has officially listed on the Namibia Stock Exchange (NSX), marking another milestone in its expansion across Southern Africa. ABC chief executive officer Warren Wheatley said the move strengthens the company’s access to capital markets and supports its goal of integrating Bitcoin into Africa’s financial systems as a reserve asset. The company, already listed in South Africa, is the first publicly listed Bitcoin treasury company on the continent. “The NSX listing complements our existing JSE platform and provides Namibian investors with the opportunity to participate indirectly in ACOF’s growth story. By doing so, we continue…